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Friday, April 24, 2009

A Hundred Kilos

Do I love getting in over my head? Yes. Do I love pushing the limits? Yes. Do I have any serious head injuries? Not that I'm aware of. You see, I was really counting on my mom to tell me I'm an idiot and not to do it. However, when I brought it up last night to get her opinion, she simply told me she thought I should just do it "because racing makes you happy." Whoa, wait, what?! Well, that's all I needed. Just one more push in the 'right' direction :) So, like the zero balance I enjoyed on my credit card for the first time in I don't know how long, I threw my conscience and good judgment out the window and decided to just go for it. I don't know when I'll have another chance/the time/the willingness/the balls to do it. So why not?

I signed up for the Vermont 100k...yes "kilometer", not "miler"; I'm not that bat-shit crazy...yet :)

Ay ya ya! It is indeed official...I registered, printed out the volunteer form, confirmed with Vermont Mike that he'd be able to drive and let me sleep on his couch when I get into town, and then I purchased my flights. It's done! Then I checked my credit card balance and wanted to weep quietly, but I reminded myself that I'm young and daring still and there won't be another summer where I'll have the time or money to do this for at least 3-4 more years (more on that later).

I'm freakin' excited! Wow, do I have a lot of training to do. Not to mention I'll need to put in some solid night running. The 100k runners start at 2:00 p.m., so it is guaranteed that I'll be running in the dark. That said, I'll need a pacer for those final 15 miles. I'm scared of the dark :) Well, scared to run in the dark of night in a place I've never even seen before, all alone. Plus it'll be hot and I get kinda cranky when I'm hot so it would be nice to have someone to tell me to stop my bitching and keep running/walking/crawling :) Vermont Mike would be perfect for this job, but he will be busy running his first 100 miler at the same event. Woohoo!

For the record, I will place any and all necessary blame on VM as this was his doing. I was perfectly happy not knowing that a 100k option existed for this race. But, nooooooo. "Paige, there's a 100k race, same date/time/place as my 100-miler. I DARE YOU." That was all it took. Then the wheels started spinning. I still have the e-mail with the above quote from him. I will frame it once I finish :) Take that! I have a weakness for racing dares, within reason, of course. VM knows this. I also have a weakness for talking unfounded smack, but that's neither here nor there.

So, the madness continues! I guess I should work on not getting injured anymore so that I can do this. Speaking of, I learned how to do "the clam" exercise. Let me tell you, it's not very ladylike, but my goodness is it a hip and butt burner! Google it and there are plenty of videos to show you how to do it.

6 comments:

I've been doing that "clam" too.I find I've got to talk to the right places to get the right things to do their job. I've got muscles that want to do aaall the work, and not leave any for other muscles to do. (Not good.)

Quotes and Musings

"What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for." ~ George Mallory, 1922

"There is a reason in every race to finish it or to quit early; it's a matter of what you choose. I believe the choice you take out there is the choice you're going to take in every aspect of life." ~ Perry Edinger

"Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself." ~ Lululemon

"If you start to feel good during an ultra, don't worry, you'll get over it." ~Thibeault

"The core of a man's spirit comes from new experiences." ~Chris McCandless

"Circumstance has no value. It is how one relates to a situation that has value. All true meaning resides in the personal relationship to a phenomenon, what it means to you." ~Chris McCandless

Must Reads

"Life of Pi" Yann Martel

"No Shortcuts to the Top" Ed Viesturs

"Omnivore's Dilemma" Michael Pollan

"The Alchemist" Paulo Coehlo

"Crossing to Safety" Wallace Stegner

"Merle's Door" Ted Kerasote

"The Way of the Peaceful Warrior" Dan Millman

"Running Through The Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon" Neal Jamison

"Buddha" Deepak Chopra

"Into The Wild" John Krakauer

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